


WANTED: Full-Time Babysitter

by ritsuizuleo (nightfullofstars)



Category: Ensemble Stars! (Video Game)
Genre: Aged-Up Character(s), M/M, Not Idols AU, Slow Burn
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-09-04
Updated: 2017-09-03
Packaged: 2018-12-23 15:05:42
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,845
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11992245
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/nightfullofstars/pseuds/ritsuizuleo
Summary: Seeking a certified caretaker to look after four year old daughter throughout the week. Flexible availability is preferred.(do NOT contact me with unsolicited services or offers)





	WANTED: Full-Time Babysitter

**Author's Note:**

> th...is..... was supposed to be a joke................
> 
> thanks as always to decolark and ghostberry for beta reading!! this definitely wouldn't have gotten this far without either of you l....mao.......
> 
> [please note that the rating is likely to be raised in future chapters!]

Ten minutes.

Izumi should have left _ten minutes_ ago.

He looks to the clock on the wall, almost as though hoping the time to be ten, maybe even twenty minutes earlier than it had been the last time he had checked. A heavy sigh escapes him as he glances away, continuing to pace across the living room impatiently. Miyu sits on the couch -- innocent as always -- feet swinging back and forth, blue eyes never once leaving her father’s face. It's hard, having Miyu watch him so dutifully, because the last thing he wants is to lose his cool in front of her, but at the same time --

The buzzer goes off.

“ _Finally_ ,” Izumi harrumphs, sharing one last look with Miyu -- an attempt to calm himself, more than anything else -- before striding to the door and tugging it open.

The man who stands behind it couldn't be further from what Izumi had been hoping for.

It was foolish of him, he now realizes, to trust Leo in this case. The people Izumi had met through Leo over the years never failed to be strange, disappointing, or somewhere in-between, and now Izumi is unfortunately certain that this “babysitter” will be no exception. The tardiness is one thing -- things happen, anyone can fall victim to bad traffic -- but simply based off appearances, this man is nothing like who Izumi _or_ Shu would want taking care of their daughter.

The stranger’s hoodie is oversized and clearly stained around the cuffs (by what, Izumi can't quite tell), while his jeans are outdated and faded enough for Izumi to believe that he's been wearing them for the past decade. Even if he were to set mere looks aside -- which is near impossible, because both Shu and Izumi have always found it difficult to initially appreciate anything beyond the surface -- the expression on the man’s face is hardly promising, red eyes still sleepily blinking at the buzzer as though doubting he had even pressed it.

Whatever, Izumi decides, with one final glance at his watch. He doesn't have _time_ for this, and once the opportunity arises he’ll throttle Leo for lying to him so blatantly. Impressive? Qualified? The man before him doesn't suit his image of either, even though Leo _very specifically_ described him as both.

And yet, Izumi finds himself grabbing the collar of the “babysitter’s” hoodie and yanking him inside regardless.

“Miyu!” he calls, soon as the door is closed and locked behind them, “Come, there's someone here for you to meet.”

There's no immediate response, and for a moment Izumi fears that Miyu’s hiding away in some split second of uncharacteristic shyness. He almost considers calling again when she finally appears, peering around the doorframe before stepping forward. Her stuffed bear -- a recent gift from Arashi and an attempt to distract her from the divorce -- is clenched tightly to her chest, blue eyes wide as she looks between her father and the stranger beside him.

“Hello...” she murmurs at last, but even then her gaze worriedly flicks to Izumi. Ah, of course. She doesn't know how to greet him, and it's only typical that Leo didn't think to tell Izumi the babysitter’s name himself. Izumi also looks to the stranger, eyes narrowing as Miyu carefully continues, “You’re staying the day with me, right?”

The babysitter says nothing, blinking back down at Miyu with that same accursed blank expression on his face. Izumi spares another glance towards the clock.

He should have left seventeen minutes ago.

But he can't and won't abandon Miyu just yet. After all, for someone with as clean a record as his, surely his boss would understand him running late just this once. Staying home and looking after Miyu himself isn't an option -- even if it were today, it wouldn't be the next day, or when he had to meet with his lawyer on Friday -- but the least he can do is ensure that Miyu is comfortable and properly acquainted with Leo’s “ideal recommendation” before taking off.

“What, don't you have a name?” Izumi huffs, when another solid minute has passed and the stranger still makes no show of introducing himself. “You _can_ understand what I’m saying, can't you?”

There's something more attentive about the babysitter when he opens his eyes next, something about the way that he looks to Izumi that he can't help but find unsettling. “Tsukkun didn't mention it?”

“‘Tsukkun’?” Izumi echoes, brows furrowing further. One thoughtful moment drags by as he connects the dots, though Izumi remains exasperated as he voices, “Who, Leo-kun? Of course not.”

The babysitter hums, disconcerting red gaze finally flicking away from Izumi in favour of studying the bear cradled in Miyu’s arms. “Makes sense. My name’s...”

Miyu takes a small step closer. The stranger continues to stare at her bear. Izumi’s foot drums against the floorboards.

“Kuma Ritsu.”

“Oh!” Miyu gasps, all concern seeming to ease from her face as she clenches the plush tighter. “Just like Kuma-chan!” She waves the bear’s arms, speaking from the side of her mouth -- no doubt trying to imitate Shu’s ventriloquism -- as she continues, “Hello then, Kuma-san! Please treat us kindly!”

Ritsu does nothing but slowly nod.

“Okay,” Izumi says, another tired sigh escaping him, “Believe it or not, I _do_ actually have to leave at some point.” Eyes narrowing at Ritsu, he continues, “You have a phone or something, right? Let me see it.”

Tantalizingly slow, the babysitter’s hand slides into his pocket -- a pocket that is way too deep and baggy to look anywhere near decent, Izumi realizes with a wince -- before withdrawing a phone that could easily be half his age. Izumi’s brows raise at the outdated technology, but he says nothing, merely holding out his own hand for Ritsu to drop the phone into.

Flipping the phone open to find that there's no passcode, Izumi is quick to pull up the other’s contact list. It's far sparser than Izumi’s own, with maybe four or five contacts at most, but he tries not to pay it any mind as he goes to add another. Although it's a struggle to type in the characters of his name with the ancient keypad, he manages to pull it off. He then starts to angle the screen towards Ritsu, though the look on the other’s face remains unengaged and unpromising, so it's with one click of his tongue that Izumi crouches down in front of Miyu and shows the phone to her instead.

“Hey, Pumpkin,” he starts, one hand pointing at the screen. “This is Papa’s number, okay? When I call, it's going to show this name.” For a moment, he considers changing it to ‘Papa’ to make it easier for her, but quickly thinks better of it. He hadn't looked closely at Ritsu’s other contacts, but it'd be awkward if his number was mixed up with the babysitter’s own father. “See? Se-na. That's your name, too.”

Miyu nods, face alight with understanding, and Izumi can't withhold a slight sigh of relief. Although the phone’s menu is still annoying to navigate, texting himself the babysitter’s contact info takes just a few more button-presses. If nothing else, it shouldn't be too hard to contact them once he has the chance.

And so he kisses Miyu’s forehead one last time, straightening and reminding her that he and Shu are only one phone call away if she ever feels as though she needs them. Turning to face Ritsu, Izumi hands him back his phone, brows creasing when Ritsu slowly takes it back.

“I’ll be gone for about nine, ten hours.” His tone is curt, short. The faster Izumi gets out of here, the less time he has to regret accepting this stranger’s help in the first place -- then again, it's already far too late to curb the doubt churning in his chest. “I’ll call when I get the chance, so just... Do your job.”

As satisfied with things as he knows he can be, Izumi starts towards the garage. He's already one step into the doorframe when he twists back, gaze finding Ritsu’s. “And nice to meet you, or whatever,” he says, and closes the door too-fast behind him.

But as Izumi climbs into his car, surrounded by utter silence beyond the soft rumble of his vehicle starting, he finds himself hesitating one last time. Perhaps it isn't too late to call Shu, he thinks, eyeing the phone menu currently displayed on his dashboard. Perhaps he could stop by Kuro’s home en route, drop Miyu off, banish this man from his home --

No, Izumi decides, reaching to shift gears. He's being foolish. Just as he and Shu’s days of living together are over, so are their days of depending on one another. This, whether he likes it or not, is something he’ll have to overcome on his own.

Even if overcoming it means killing Leo as soon as he gets the chance.

* * *

At his first opportunity to slip away from the hustle of his workplace, Izumi dials the babysitter’s number. Already frustrated by the typical rush of an incoming deadline, his fingers drum against his coffee as the phone rings once, twice, before redirecting him to the answering machine. Well, if it can even be called an answering machine -- there's no recorded message, only a long beep to let Izumi know he's on voicemail.

Clicking his tongue, he pulls the phone away and redials, only to be rewarded with similar results. He can't afford to leave work now, Izumi thinks as he punches in the numbers a third time, but if this godforsaken babysitter has jeopardized Miyu’s safety, he really doesn't have much choice --

“Papa?” Miyu mumbles at last, voiced muffled and soft.

A quiet sigh of relief escapes Izumi and he straightens, shuffling to balance his phone between his ear and shoulder. “Miyu,” he says, her name alone enough to bring a slight smile to his lips, “Are you alright? Everything's okay?”

“Mm-hm... Just sleepy.”

Izumi’s brows furrow at that, smile somewhat fading. That's unlike her. Especially for a girl her age, Miyu always has difficulty getting to sleep, never mind napping throughout the day. “Sleepy? Did you go out?” Scrambling for a believable answer, he adds, “Did you go to the playground?”

Miyu yawns, and there's the faint sound of fabric rustling before she manages, “Nuh-uh. We’re just napping lots.”

“Napping?” Izumi echoes, “You and... Kuma-kun?”

“Yeah, me and Kuma-san.”

It takes a moment for Izumi to respond, brain slowly churning and processing this new information. Then, a fresh rush of concern surges through him. “Where?”

“The living room,” is Miyu’s simple reply.

Izumi waits, wanting to probe further. _Where_ in the living room? Are they nestled together, more like close family than a hired caretaker and child? Being lazy or sloppy is one thing, but this stranger expressing needless skinship with his daughter is definitely another.

Before he can ask, however, Miyu -- his sweet, brilliant Miyu -- pipes up once more with his answer. “Kuma-san went to sleep on the couch, so I took the chair beside ‘im.” Her voice quiets, then, though the fact that she was already whispering strains Izumi’s hearing as she continues, “He’s very old, Papa, so I wanna let him rest.”

 _That_ is absolute bullshit. “He's not old, Miyu. He can't be that much older than your Father and Papa...”

“Even Daddy and Papa need rest sometimes!” she insists. “And, ah... Miyu needs rest, too. Kuma-san makes me sleepy.”

“Oh --” Izumi starts, surprised, but is cut short by a soft ‘click’ from the other end of the line. His lips purse; hanging up on him mid-conversation would have to be something they talk about later.

Ugh, this is _beyond_ annoying.

There's only a few minutes left of his break when Izumi remembers that he had been planning on calling Leo as well. There's not even much point in trying now, not when the lecture he has in mind is more likely to take three hours as opposed to three minutes. So it's with one final gulp of his coffee that he gathers his things, and with one final gulp of his coffee that he tries to find his resolve.

* * *

“Papa’s favourite colour is blue,” Izumi hears Miyu chirp as he steps back into his home. He pauses -- surprised to hear her up at this hour -- still standing in the doorframe while she continues, “So I like it, too!”

A strange, almost purr-like noise sounds in response. “Just because your Papa does?”

“I love Papa,” Miyu explains, and Izumi finds the slightest of tired smiles tugging at his lips, “So I like what he loves! ‘Cuz it makes him happy. And Arashi nee-chan says blue makes me look nice!”

“Mm,” the other voice hums in reply. “My parents and I were never really like that, so...”

“Papa’s easy to love.” A moment passes in relative silence before she adds, quickly, “And Daddy is, too! I love them both...”

Carefully, Izumi pulls the door closed behind him. From here, he can properly look to the source of the voices, gaze led to where Miyu and her companion sit at the dining room table.

Miyu’s elbows are propped upon the table’s surface, legs dangling beneath it and hands cradling her heart-shaped face. Ritsu is perched across from her, his own chin held against his palm, slouched in the chair so comfortably that one would almost think it was his own. That alone irritates Izumi in a way that he can’t find the words for, but redirecting his gaze reveals that used dinner plates are set before them, which at least eases Izumi’s concerns regarding Miyu starving to death.

Just what Ritsu fed her is, of course, an entire other matter, but after tonight he shouldn’t have to worry about that ever again. After his break, he had -- for lack of a better word -- bitched to one of his coworkers about the current situation. Said coworker apparently has a friend who’s good with kids and should be able to take Ritsu’s place; honestly, Izumi has to wonder why he didn’t just ask around work _before_ turning to Leo, of all people.

Still, he knows better to make that mistake again, and now --

“Papa!” Miyu cries out delightedly, snapping Izumi out from his trance. She straightens in her seat before sliding off it entirely, slippers thudding across the floor as she crosses the hall to wrap her thin arms around Izumi’s waist. “You're finally home!”

“Mm,” Izumi hums, fingers threading themselves through her thick golden strands. “You miss me?”

“Mm-hm! Lots and lots and lots! Oh, but --” she twists to look over her shoulder, gaze falling  upon where Ritsu still lounges at their table. “Kuma-san was here, so I wasn't lonely... He's coming tomorrow, right? Right?”

Miyu’s bright blue eyes -- so much like Izumi’s own, and his mother’s before him -- form a lump in Izumi’s throat as she searches his expression hopefully. Such had been the initial plan, of course, but that was under the assumption that Leo’s recommendation wouldn't be an utterly unmotivated slob. His hand is careful as it combs its way through her hair, saying nothing as he mulls over the best way to tell her.

“Kuma-kun isn't, that is...” There's shuffling from the dining room, but Izumi doesn't dare look up. Disappointing Miyu is hard enough, even _without_ any needless and unwelcome distractions. “We were more just testing him out, mm? I've found someone better, who’ll come tomorrow --”

“ _Non!_ ” Izumi stiffens in Miyu’s grasp at the sudden rebuttal. “There's no one better than Kuma-san, Papa!”

“Sweetie, that's...”

“I like him lots!” She starts to pull away from Izumi, ducking out from his arms and crossing her own. There's the pout and, ah, isn't this just a bit ridiculous? It's only been one day. As far as Izumi’s concerned, there's not a single good reason for her to be acting like this. “He's my favourite, so I wanna keep him!”

“Miyu,” he tries again, crouching down so they're at eye level. Miyu looks away. “I don’t even know if Kuma-kun _can_ take care of you, okay? And I don't want to worry about you all the time...”

Well, he already does, but he’d rather not worry more than he has to. Still, Miyu avoids his gaze, and Izumi sighs.

“Most babysitters come with a piece of paper, Pumpkin, so that Papa knows they're going to do a good job --”

“I did.”

The interruption is sudden, though more startling is the tension that comes along with it. Izumi’s attention flicks towards the source, towards the challenger, and attentive, sharp crimson eyes meet his. Such an expression seems uncharacteristic for the sort Izumi has decided Ritsu must be, wholly different from the same sleepy and dazed stranger that had turned up at his door that morning. Izumi’s own eyes narrow -- unsure of the game they’re playing but still unwilling to lose -- and Ritsu repeats, voice steady, “I brought a resumé. That's what you want, right?”

Izumi’s brows furrow. “Oh? Let's see it.”

And so, Ritsu’s chair squeaks as it is pushed backwards.

**Author's Note:**

> a little while back, i posted a shuizu drabble and mentioned that it was sort of meant as a prologue to another longer fic i was working on at the time... for those that were wondering, this is that fic!! it's.. terribly embarrassing honestly but i plan to update it as regularly as i can, alongside my medieval au (WHICH I HAVEN'T ABANDONED, btw, and will hopefully be updated soon) ᕕ( ᐛ )ᕗ as indulgent and slow to update as both fics might be, i hope someone else out there managed to enjoy this and the chapters to come!!
> 
> IF YOU DO ENJOY IT THOUGH i'd really appreciate any sort of feedback! yknow, kudos/comments/bookmarks... even the smallest comments go a long way haha.
> 
> also, i've moved twitter accounts! my main is now @ritsuleoizu, while my writing/ideas account is still @gardenslumber. thank you again for your time! (*ゝω・)ﾉ


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